1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a personal watercraft garment heating system and more specifically to a personal watercraft garment heating system that uses water heated by the personal watercraft propulsion system to flow heated water through robes in the garment to warm the personal watercraft user.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The personal watercraft sport has gained tremendous popularity in the last few years. In the beginning, the first personal watercraft were know as "Jet Skis" which were first developed around 1956. The Jet Ski power plant is usually a two cylinder, two cycle engine which is also the same as used in a snowmobile. The propulsion system is an impeller that forces water through a duct to form a water jet in the rear of the watercraft. In a jet ski, the user stands on a platform on the rear of the watercraft and rides the ski similar to a surfboard. One must obtain balance similar to that on a surfboard. Other forms of personal Wave Ranger are called "Sea-Doo" and "Watercraft". These two types are statically stable, like a boat, and the user sits and straddles a seat. The above two watercraft can also seat more than one person.
When the temperature is cold, the wind chill factor created by the speed of the personal watercraft can reduce the temperature considerably. Obviously, a user must wear a life jacket and garments that can be submerged in the water in case the user falls off. In most cases, the user dresses in some kind of protection clothing which is either a drysuit or a wetsuit. These suits are usually made from a rubberized flexible fabric and can be either half suits or full suits. In any event, additional warmth would be appreciated on cold days while wearing these garments.
Most of the prior art is directed to deep water diving that has heated water delivered to wetsuits. U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,064 discloses conduits built into a wetsuit to provide a path for heated water while a person is diving. When a person is diving with a wetsuit, the water enters the suit and forms a layer between the suit and the skin on the body of the diver. The body of the diver warms the water and provides some warmth. U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,064 increases the temperature of the layer of water between the body of the diver and the wetsuit fabric by running heated water through robes next to the body of the driver. The present invention provides a garment that has no water between the garment fabric and the body of the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,759 discloses a non-return hot water diving suit. The primary device in this patent is a valve that can be quickly closed in case of a failure of the hot water system. The inventor maintains that this valve allows a diver to work for extended period of depth of 600 feet to 1,000 feet in near freezing water. The present invention does not have any outlet valves as discloses in this patent, especially when diving in near freezing water.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,568,209 discloses a protective suit apparatus that directs hot water to the hands and feet which will first feel the effects of cold water. The present invention does not direct the heated fluid to the hands and feet while diving in cold water.
All of the above prior art is directed m keeping a diver warm while diving in cold water. What is needed is a garment to provide warmth for the user of a personal watercraft using the heated water provided by the personal watercraft propulsion system.
Accordingly, a fuller understanding of the invention made by obtained by referring to the Summary of the Invention and the Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the Claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.